Queen to step down as Patron of 25 charities

Buckingham Palace has announced that The Queen will step down as patron of 25 organisations at the end of the year.

Her Majesty, who turned 90 this year, is thought to be stepping down as Patron due to her advancing age and the gradual decline in her workload.

Other members of The Royal Family will pick up the patronages, many of whom already serve as Vice-Patron or Presidents, ensuring a smooth transition.

The news that The Queen will no longer be Patron of these 25 charities is not unexpected. In 2011, when The Duke of Edinburgh turned 90, he also gave up a number of patronages.

The Queen is currently Patron of over 600 organisations, meaning the 25 she is handing over is a relatively small 5% of her workload.

The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to take over as Patron of some of the organisations, such as Wimbledon, and The Duchess of Cornwall is more than likely to become Patron of Barnardo’s – of which she is already President.

The Queen has been gradually reducing her workload over the years. Other than handing over Patronages, notable examples of this include The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall attending the State Opening of Parliament.

Further to this, the Prince of Wales represented his mother at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka as The Queen stopped undertaking long-haul travel.

The patronages which are being passed on to other members of The Royal Family are listed below:

Holocaust Day Memorial Trust

Royal Institute of Great Britain

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

Battersea Dogs Home

Barnardo’s

Royal School of Needlework

Royal African Society

Welsh Rugby Union

Amateur Swimming Association

Action for Children

All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) Wimbledon

Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)

Blind Veterans UK

Rugby Football Union

Rugby Football League

Edinburgh International Festival

Sport and Recreation Alliance

British Cycling Federation

NSPCC

Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund

British Science Association

Institute of Civil Engineers

Animal Health Trust

Royal Geographical Society

Save the Children UK

Details of the transitions will be made available in the coming days. Keep visiting Royal Central for all the latest updates.